Detroit Thanksgiving Parade

Throngs of parade-goers will brave the crisp morning air and line up along Woodward Avenue, between Mack and Congress, to see this year’s co-grand marshals Bill and Lisa Ford, colorful floats, giant heads, celebrities, and of course, Santa Claus.

“The parade is one of those vehicles that bring people together,” says Tony Michaels, president and CEO of the Parade Company, which creates the annual spectacle. “We view this as a major opportunity to put Detroit on a national stage. It is an impactful moment for the city.”

Live coverage of the two-hour parade will air on WDIV-TV (Channel 4) and be heard on 760-AM (WJR), and more than 65 million viewers are expected to tune in the first hour when it’s broadcasted to 140 cities nationally.

Setting the tone for the Parade this year is the new theme song “Celebrate America … Celebrate Detroit,” by Dan Yessian. Helping to produce the track was Grammy Award winner Gerard Smerek, who has produced for Anita Baker, Bob Seger and Aretha Franklin. The high-stepping song, which features vocalists from Detroit, New York and Los Angeles, will open the Parade with a performance by Eastern Michigan University’s Pom Pon team.